Russian forces have suffered the heaviest battlefield losses the world has seen since the Second World War during its invasion of Ukraine, a new study shows.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies says the war has resulted in about 1.2 million Russian casualties and between 500,000 and 600,000 Ukrainian casualties. This includes both wounded and killed troops.
As many as 325,000 Russians have been killed since the war began nearly four years ago, the think tank reported, accounting for the majority of troops killed in the war.
“No major power has suffered anywhere near these numbers of casualties or fatalities in any war since World War II,” the CSIS said, despite advancing "remarkably slowly on the battlefield".
The Kremlin dismissed the reports on Wednesday, saying the figures should not be seen as reliable.
Elsewhere, Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of an “act of terrorism” after a Russian attack on a Ukrainian passenger train killed at least five people.
"In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be regarded in the same way – purely as an act of terrorism," Zelensky said.
Key Points
- Zelensky says Russia is preparing a 'massive strike' ahead of Sunday peace talks
- Kremlin rejects war casualties report, says trust only Moscow's data
- Nearly 2 million military casualties in Ukraine war, reports finds – with Putin’s forces bearing brunt of losses
- Trump's negotiator reveals 'shocking' lack of knowledge about Ukraine war
- Zelensky and Starmer discuss peace talks progress in phone call
Moscow ready for Putin-Zelensky meeting if Ukraine president comes, says Kremlin
07:14 , Arpan RaiA senior Kremlin official has said Russia can hold direct talks with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, provided he travels to Moscow to speak with his Russian counterpart.
“We have never refused and do not refuse this kind of contact," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said, adding that Moscow is prepared to ensure Zelensky's security and working conditions if he comes to Russia.
It isn't the first time Russia has said Zelensky should travel to Moscow if he wants a leaders' summit with Putin. Kyiv has dismissed the suggestion as a non-starter given the security threat the Ukrainian president would face.
Ushakov's remarks come after Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Zelensky is ready to meet Putin to resolve the two key issues in the peace talks, including territorial questions and the future of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Kremlin rejects war casualties report, says trust only Moscow's data
07:04 , Arpan RaiA senior Kremlin official has rejected a report claiming Russia has sustained the largest number of troop deaths for any major power in any conflict since the Second World War.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov snubbed the findings and said people should only trust casualty figures shared by the Russian defence ministry.
“I don’t think such reports can and should be viewed as reliable information,” Peskov told reporters at a daily briefing yesterday.
Russia has rarely released any details of its casualties in Ukraine and the figures it does put out are widely considered to be understatements.
A report from US think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies said Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, between February 2022 and December 2025.
Zelensky says Russia is preparing a 'massive strike' ahead of Sunday peace talks
06:44 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian intelligence has indicated that Russia was preparing “a new massive strike” as he reminds world leaders that any attack will discredit the peace process.
“The United States, Europe, and all our partners have to understand how this discredits diplomatic talks,” Zelensky said.
“Every single Russian strike does.”
Trilateral negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the US are due to resume in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, following the first round of "constructive" talks over the weekend.
Kremlin says peace talks with US and Ukraine to resume on Sunday
06:25 , Arpan RaiThe trilateral negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the United States to reach a resolution on the war in Ukraine are set to continue in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, the Kremlin said.
A first round of three-way talks on ending the four-year war took place in the same location last weekend.
The US secretary of state Marco Rubio said there might be a US presence in the follow-up Ukraine talks, but president Donald Trump's top envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who had taken part in the previous round of talks last weekend in Abu Dhabi, will not be participating.
The talks last weekend, which included a rare face-to-face engagement between Russian and Ukrainian officials, ended without a deal, but Moscow and Kyiv said they were open to further dialogue.
More discussions were expected next Sunday in Abu Dhabi, said a US official who spoke to reporters at the time.
Rubio suggests Ukraine agreeing to Washington's security guarantees
05:52 , Arpan RaiUS secretary of state Marco Rubio has hinted that Ukraine and Washington are getting closer to agreeing on security guarantees in the ongoing talks.
On being asked if security guarantees for Ukraine were agreed to by the US and Ukrainian sides, he said: "I think you could argue they're agreed to from our side of the equation. There's obviously a Russian dynamic at play here.”
“And of course, any security guarantees would come into play after the conflict would end," Rubio said.
The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that Washington told Ukraine it must sign on to a peace deal with Russia to get US security guarantees.
Bangladeshi workers lured to Russia for jobs tricked into fighting brutal war in Ukraine
05:30 , Arpan RaiA Bangladeshi man, Maksudur Rahman, was reportedly lured from his tropical homeland to Russia with the promise of a janitorial job, only to find himself thrust onto the front lines of the war in Ukraine within weeks.
An investigation by The Associated Press has uncovered a pattern where Bangladeshi workers are enticed to Russia under false pretences of civilian employment, subsequently coerced into combat roles.
Many of these individuals faced threats of violence, imprisonment, or even death if they refused. Mr Rahman, among three Bangladeshi men who managed to escape the Russian military and spoke to AP, recounted how he and fellow workers were instructed to sign Russian documents upon arrival in Moscow, which later proved to be military contracts.
Bangladeshis lured to Russia for work tricked into fighting brutal war in Ukraine
Watch: Zelensky warns Russia is planning ‘massive’ strike ahead of peace talks
05:14 , Arpan RaiFrance sending power generators to Ukraine, says Macron after call with Zelensky
05:07 , Arpan RaiFrench president Emmanuel Macron said he had spoken to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday to express his condemnation of Russia's latest attacks and assured that power generators are being sent to Ukraine.
The recent wave of Russian attacks have knocked out power and heating systems in much of Ukraine, as both countries target each other's energy infrastructure.
Zelensky said that he briefed Macron on the frontline situation and Russian losses.
“And, of course, we discussed how to strengthen our energy resilience. In the near future, Ukraine will receive generators from France. There will also be additional deliveries this year of French aircraft, missiles for air defence systems, and aerial bombs,” he said, thanking the French leader.
I spoke with President of France @EmmanuelMacron.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 28, 2026
I briefed him on the frontline situation and Russian losses. I am grateful for his words of condolence regarding Russian strikes on civilians, and in particular the attack on a passenger train in the Kharkiv region.
We discussed… pic.twitter.com/9MXwc0wcOe
Nearly 2 million military casualties in Ukraine war, reports finds – with Putin’s forces bearing brunt of losses
04:54 , Arpan RaiThe number of soldiers killed, injured or missing on both sides of Russia's war on Ukraine could hit two million by the spring, a report has warned - with Russia suffering the largest number of troop deaths recorded for any major power in any conflict since the Second World War.
The study by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies revealed the slow, deadly grind of the conflict, and comes before the fourth anniversary of the Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
The report said Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, between February 2022 and December 2025. "No major power has suffered anywhere near these numbers of casualties or fatalities in any war since World War II,” the authors said.
It estimated that Ukraine, with its smaller army and population, had suffered between 500,000 to 600,000 military casualties, including up to 140,000 deaths.
Nearly 2 million military casualties in Ukraine war, reports finds
Trump's negotiator reveals 'shocking' lack of knowledge about Ukraine war
04:40 , Arpan RaiA senior US envoy engaged in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine is not aware of the date when the invasion took place and that the war-hit nation does not have a vice-president, officials said.
Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and real estate developer-turned-peace envoy Steve Witkoff are helming the peace talks for the Trump administration.
Without naming which envoy made the blunder, an official involved in the talks told the Kyiv Independent that a US negotiator referred to the head of the president’s office, Kryrlo Budanov, as Ukraine’s vice president.
Ukraine does not have a vice president under its constitutional framework. The president, Volodymyr Zelensky at present, is the head of state. The authority is temporarily passed on to the chairperson of parliament if the president cannot perform duties.
The US official also did not know basic facts about the war. On being asked if the peace push from the Trump administration was aimed at ending the war by its fourth anniversary on 24 February, the US envoy said he was not aware of when the full-scale invasion began.
“I wasn't aware of what that anniversary date was," the envoy answered. "I don't think we feel pressure to because we have a four-year anniversary,” he said.
He also falsely claimed that Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has lasted longer than the Second World War.
"I think it's the longest war now. It was longer than World War II. At this point, it's been going on."
How Putin lures foreign nationals to the frontlines with the promise of work
04:32 , Arpan RaiFor average wage earners in Russia, it's a big payday. For criminals seeking to escape the harsh conditions and abuse in prison, it's a chance at freedom. For immigrants hoping for a better life, it's a simplified path to citizenship.
All they have to do is sign a contract to fight in Ukraine.
This desperate recruitment drive is part of Moscow's strategy to replenish its forces in the nearly four-year conflict, while simultaneously avoiding an unpopular nationwide mobilisation. The bloody war of attrition has also seen foreign combatants join the fray. Following a mutual defence treaty in 2024, North Korea reportedly sent thousands of soldiers to help Russia defend its Kursk region against a Ukrainian incursion.
How Putin lures foreign nationals to the frontlines with the promise of work
Watch: Carriages burn following deadly Russian drone attack on Ukraine passenger train
04:10 , Arpan RaiKremlin rejects war casualties report, says trust only Moscow's data
03:33 , Arpan RaiA senior Kremlin official has rejected a report claiming Russia has sustained the largest number of troop deaths for any major power in any conflict since the Second World War.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov snubbed the findings and said people should only trust casualty figures shared by the Russian defence ministry.
“I don’t think such reports can and should be viewed as reliable information,” Peskov told reporters at a daily briefing yesterday.
Russia has rarely released any details of its casualties in Ukraine and the figures it does put out are widely considered to be understatements.
A report from US think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies said Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, between February 2022 and December 2025.
Zelensky says Russia is preparing a 'massive strike' ahead of Sunday peace talks
03:20 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian intelligence has indicated that Russia was preparing “a new massive strike” as he reminds world leaders that any attack will discredit the peace process.
“The United States, Europe, and all our partners have to understand how this discredits diplomatic talks,” Zelensky said.
“Every single Russian strike does.”
Trilateral negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the US are due to resume in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, following the first round of "constructive" talks over the weekend.
The Russians are preparing a new massive strike – our intelligence indicates this. The United States, Europe, and all our partners have to understand how this discredits diplomatic talks. Every single Russian strike does. pic.twitter.com/1bKKXNeMwe
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 28, 2026
Rubio says active work is underway to resolve Donetsk issues in peace talks
03:08 , Arpan RaiWork is underway to resolve the key territorial issue of Donetsk in peace talks, Marco Rubio has said.
The US Secretary of State described the disagreement as one of the central remaining issues, which he said was “very difficult” to settle.
Vladimir Putin has repeatedly insisted that Russia will take all of Ukraine's Donbas region by force if Ukraine does not surrender it in a peace deal.
The US has also signalled that security guarantees would only be promised to Ukraine if it agrees to give up the Donbas region, of which Moscow's forces control 90 per cent.
Northern and eastern Ukraine face coldest winter in years after Russian strikes on power grid
02:58 , Arpan RaiDaily life is going to be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and a compromised energy infrastructure that has been pummelled by intense Russian attacks, depriving millions of light and heat, a senior lawmaker has warned.
Weather forecasts for the next week show extremely low temperatures with the mercury set to dip below -20 degrees Celsius (-4°F) in northern and eastern parts of Ukraine next week.
“The bad news is that there will indeed be frosts, and it will be difficult," Andriy Gerus, the head of the parliament's energy committee, told TV channel Marathon.
“The good news is that we need to hold out for three weeks, and then it will get easier," he added, citing predicted warmer temperatures and increased solar power from longer days.
His remarks come in the light of Russia stepping up bombardments beyond the frontline that stretches across eastern and southern Ukraine.
Moscow is counting on the harsh winter and terrorising civilians in Ukrainian cities to use as leverage in the ongoing trilateral peace negotiations.
Watch: Carriages burn following deadly Russian drone attack on Ukraine passenger train
02:01 , Harriette BoucherFrance to send power generators to Ukraine following latest round of attacks
01:00 , Harriette BoucherFrench President Emmanuel Macron has announced he will send power generators to Ukraine, following Russia’s latest attack on Kharkiv, which knocked out power to most of the city.
President Macron spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, expressing condemnation for the attacks.
In a post on X, President Macron said: “Faced with this emergency, we are taking action. Following the G7+ meeting co-chaired by France, generators will be sent to Ukraine to help the population get through the winter.
“France’s position is clear: we will support Ukraine for as long as necessary, so that it can defend itself and thwart the war of aggression waged by Russia.”
Russian-Uzbek billionaire wins legal case against German newspaper
00:00 , Alex CroftRussian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov has won a legal complaint against German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung over an article it published about him, Reuters is reporting.
In a ruling dated January 23, a Hamburg court prohibited FAZ from disseminating several statements, including allegations about Mr Usmanov's links to top Russian officials, from an April 2023 article titled "On the Kremlin's instructions".
Mr Usmanov has a net worth of $18.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and is subject to European Union and US sanctions and a travel ban that were imposed after the start of the war in Ukraine.
He has launched multiple lawsuits in Europe with the ultimate goal of having the sanctions lifted. In some, his lawyers contested statements in the media that were used as the grounds for sanctions.
Russian drones damage port in Ukraine's Odesa region
Wednesday 28 January 2026 23:00 , Alex CroftRussian drones damaged port infrastructure in Ukraine's southern region of Odesa, on the Black Sea coast, the regional governor said on Wednesday.
Three people were hurt in the attack, Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app.
A residential building and buildings in the vicinity of an Orthodox monastery were also damaged, he added.
Nearly 2 million military casualties in Ukraine war, reports finds - with Putin’s forces bearing brunt of losses
Wednesday 28 January 2026 22:57 , Harriette BoucherThe number of soldiers killed, injured or missing on both sides of Russia's war on Ukraine could hit two million by the spring, a report has warned - with Russia suffering the largest number of troop deaths recorded for any major power in any conflict since the Second World War.
The study by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies revealed the slow, deadly grind of the conflict, and comes before the fourth anniversary of the Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
The report said Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, between February 2022 and December 2025. "No major power has suffered anywhere near these numbers of casualties or fatalities in any war since World War II,” the authors said.
Nearly 2 million military casualties in Ukraine war, reports finds
Zelensky and Starmer discuss peace talks progress in phone call
Wednesday 28 January 2026 22:00 , Alex CroftBritish prime minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Tuesday afternoon, a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement.
Sir Keir and Mr Zelensky discussed progress made during recent peace talks in Abu Dhabi and agreed on need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, according to the statement.
The prime minister will head to China today for a visit aimed at strengthening political and business ties, after years of deepening animosity between Beijing and London, exacerbated by China’s close relationship with Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.
France opposes EU funding for British Storm Shadow cruise missiles for Ukraine
Wednesday 28 January 2026 21:01 , Alex CroftFrance is against the European Union purchasing British Storm Shadow cruise missiles for Ukraine, according to the Telegraph.
Eleven European countries proposed a relaxation of rules on a 90 billion euro loan so that part of the funds could be used on British weapons.
But France insists that the money should only be spent within the EU.
The current rules give priority to European and Ukrainian defence manufacturers rather than those outside of the EU.
Ukraine will not accept 'meaningless' security guarantees
Wednesday 28 January 2026 20:02 , Alex Croft“Meaningless” security guarantees will not be accepted by Ukraine, a top Ukrainian official has said as trilateral peace talks are set to continue this weekend.
“Unsurprisingly, after all of these experiences, Ukrainians have become extremely wary of any discussion on security guarantees. They are not going to accept another meaningless offer, no matter how nicely it is packaged under the label ‘security guarantees’,” Ukraine’s ambassador to Nato Alyona Getmanchuk wrote in the Telegraph.
“Ukrainians have no illusions that any potential break in the war in the form of a ceasefire with [Vladimir] Putin would ultimately lead to peace rather than a new round of aggression,” she continued.
“That’s why this time – unlike in 2015, when the Minsk deal on Donbas was reached and Normandy format talks were launched – security guarantees are still seen by Ukrainians as an integral part for any peace settlement, not the result of it.”
Rubio says active work is underway to resolve Donetsk issues in peace talks
Wednesday 28 January 2026 19:19 , Harriette BoucherWork is underway to resolve the key territorial issue of Donestsk in peace talks, Marco Rubio has said.
The US Secretary of State described the disagreement as one of the central remaining issues, which he said was “very difficult” to settle.
Vladimir Putin has repeatedly insisted that Russia will take all of Ukraine's Donbas region by force if Ukraine does not surrender it in a peace deal.
The US has also signalled that security guarantees would only be promised to Ukraine if it agrees to give up the Donbas region, of which Moscow's forces control 90 per cent.
In pictures: Two killed in strike in Kyiv region
Wednesday 28 January 2026 19:00 , Alex Croft
Ukraine says Lukashenko must be held accountable for 'complicity' in war
Wednesday 28 January 2026 18:01 , Alex CroftBelarus should be held accountable for its role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said, announcing sanctions against the neighbouring country’s president Alexander Lukashenko.
"The Lukashenko regime, and (Lukashenko) himself, must bear responsibility for their complicity in Russian aggression," Sybiha told news outlet European Pravda.
Sybiha said he shares the view of much of the West that Lukashenko has rigged elections to remain in power.
“This is the so-called president. Ukraine, like other European countries, does not consider him the legitimately elected president of Belarus,” he said.
Sybiha said Lukashenko’s Belarusian regime is responsible for providing territory for attacks on Ukraine.
“This makes them complicit in the aggression against Ukraine. And now we see new elements of support for Russian aggression from the Lukashenko regime. They are providing their infrastructure for drone attacks on Ukrainian territory,” he said.
France to send power generators to Ukraine following latest round of attacks
Wednesday 28 January 2026 17:46 , Harriette BoucherFrench President Emmanuel Macron has announced he will send power generators to Ukraine, following Russia’s latest attack on Kharkiv, which knocked out power to most of the city.
President Macron spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, expressing condemnation for the attacks.
In a post on X, President Macron said: “Faced with this emergency, we are taking action. Following the G7+ meeting co-chaired by France, generators will be sent to Ukraine to help the population get through the winter.
“France’s position is clear: we will support Ukraine for as long as necessary, so that it can defend itself and thwart the war of aggression waged by Russia.”
Bulletin | US ‘will give Ukraine security guarantees’ – but on one condition
Wednesday 28 January 2026 17:30 , Alex CroftThe US has reportedly indicated that security guarantees for Ukraine are contingent on Kyiv agreeing to surrender territory in the Donbas region to Russia.
Read all you need to know in five bullet points with The Independent’s Bulletin:
US ‘will give Ukraine security guarantees’ – but on one condition
Romania to defuse unexploded mine that drifted to its Black Sea shores
Wednesday 28 January 2026 16:57 , Alex CroftRomania's navy will carry out a controlled explosion on Wednesday on a mine that has drifted to its Black Sea shore, the defence ministry said.
The ministry said soldiers from a shooting range had found the mine on a nearby beach. It did not specify whether the mine was old or part of those found floating in the Black Sea, a key trade and energy transport route, since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey have a joint task force to defuse the stray mines. Around 150 drifting mines have since been discovered and destroyed, the Romanian navy has said.
Carriages burn following deadly Russian drone attack on Ukraine passenger train
Wednesday 28 January 2026 16:25 , Alex CroftSpecial Dispatch | Russia attacked my hotel as I slept – this is Ukraine’s brutal reality while peace talks grind on
Wednesday 28 January 2026 15:52 , Alex CroftIn the early hours of Tuesday morning I was at the receiving end of one of the deadly Russian mass drone attacks that regularly terrorise Ukrainian cities.
Much of my hotel near the centre of the Black Sea port city of Odesa was wrecked when Shahed drones hit close by, setting buildings opposite ablaze and blowing out walls, shattering windows and collapsing ceilings where I was staying.
I had slept through the sirens warning of an approaching attack and was wrenched out of my slumber by the first enormous explosion, which blew out windows in my room in the Hotel Alarus at around 2.20am.
As I hurriedly pulled on clothes and boots, drones came diving in on their final approach, emitting a shrill, otherworldly scream like that of German Stuka dive bombers in movies about the Second World War.
Askold Krushelnycky writes:
Russia attacked my hotel as I slept – this is Ukraine’s brutal reality
Two killed in Russian attack near Kyiv
Wednesday 28 January 2026 15:20 , Alex CroftRussia pounded cities across Ukraine with drones and a missile overnight, killing a couple near the capital Kyiv a day after five people died in an attack on a passenger train, ahead of a fresh round of peace talks due at the weekend.
Local media reported that the woman had a four-year-old daughter who survived the strike. Officials said four people, including two children, sought medical attention after the attack.
"When I carried her out, the girl started crying very hard, and then she began to shake violently," Marian Kushnir, a journalist who was a neighbour of the deceased couple, told Radio Free Europe.
"I felt a lot of pain, because in 10 years of war, I had never had such feelings before, when, holding a crying four-year-old child in my arms, I realised that her mother was dead."
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack on the apartment block, as well as another strike with short-range rockets on what he described as a residential area without military targets in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.
"We will respond fairly to Russia for this and other similar attacks," he wrote on social media.
Ukraine-Russia-US talks to resume on Sunday - Kremlin
Wednesday 28 January 2026 14:51 , Alex CroftTrilateral negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the United States to reach a resolution on the war in Ukraine are set to resume in Abu Dhabi on February 1, Russia's Interfax news agency cited the Kremlin as saying on Wednesday.
A first round of three-way talks on ending the four-year war took place in the same location last weekend.
Full article: New report says combined war casualties in Russia's war on Ukraine could soon hit 2 million
Wednesday 28 January 2026 14:08 , Alex CroftA new report warned that the number of soldiers killed, injured or missing on both sides of Russia's war on Ukraine could hit 2 million by the spring, with Russia suffering the largest number of troop deaths recorded for any major power in any war since World War II.
The report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies came less than a month before the fourth anniversary of Moscow's onslaught on Ukraine. Officials said Wednesday that two people were killed on the outskirts of Kyiv after Russian strikes hit an apartment block, and at least nine people were injured in separate attacks in the Ukrainian cities of Odesa and Kryvyi Rih and the front-line Zaporizhzhia region.
The CSIS report released Tuesday said Russia suffered 1.2 million casualties, including up to 325,000 troop deaths, between the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and December 2025.
Read the full report here:
A new report warns that combined war casualties in Russia's war on Ukraine could soon hit 2 million
Kyiv summons Hungarian ambassador over election meddling claims
Wednesday 28 January 2026 13:46 , Alex CroftUkraine's foreign ministry said it summoned Hungary's ambassador to Kyiv on Thursday to protest over the Budapest government's allegations of Ukrainian meddling in Hungary's upcoming parliamentary elections.
On Tuesday, Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto accused Kyiv of meddling in Hungary’s upcoming election.
"Today, we summoned Ukraine's ambassador to the MFA in Budapest. We will not tolerate any interference in Hungary's elections, including Ukraine's attempts to influence the outcome and to intervene in the electoral process in favor of the Tisza Party," Mr Szijjarto said on X.
He accused Volodymyr Zelensky and Kyiv of engaging in an "open, shameless and aggressive interference campaign" in recent weeks.
Kremlin says any Putin-Zelensky meeting would need to be results-oriented
Wednesday 28 January 2026 13:22 , Alex CroftKremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said that any future meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky would need to be well prepared and results-oriented.
Ushakov, speaking to state TV, said Moscow had never ruled out such a meeting and that if Zelensky was ready for such a meeting he could come to Moscow and that his personal security would be guaranteed.
It is not the first time Russia has floated the idea of the two leaders meeting in Moscow, an idea Zelensky rejected last year suggesting Putin come to Kyiv instead.
An unnamed US official told Axios on Saturday that Zelensky and Putin were "very close" to setting up a meeting after Washington mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi last week.
Russian-Uzbek billionaire wins legal case against German newspaper
Wednesday 28 January 2026 13:00 , Alex CroftRussian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov has won a legal complaint against German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung over an article it published about him, Reuters is reporting.
In a ruling dated January 23, a Hamburg court prohibited FAZ from disseminating several statements, including allegations about Mr Usmanov's links to top Russian officials, from an April 2023 article titled "On the Kremlin's instructions".
Mr Usmanov has a net worth of $18.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and is subject to European Union and US sanctions and a travel ban that were imposed after the start of the war in Ukraine.
He has launched multiple lawsuits in Europe with the ultimate goal of having the sanctions lifted. In some, his lawyers contested statements in the media that were used as the grounds for sanctions.
